What Are Three Categories of
exchange of energy continues.
Organisms in the Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a complex network of
interactions between biotic and abiotic
components of a particular location. Living
organisms such as birds, animals, plants and
microorganisms form the biotic component while
land, air and water form the abiotic components.
Biotic and abiotic components interact with each
other resulting in transfer and replenishment of
energy and nutrients.
Solar energy is the main source of energy for all
living organisms but not all organisms can utilize
it. Only plants, algae, certain bacteria and fungi
can use solar energy. This makes other organisms
depend on plants directly or indirectly to gain
energy and nutrients. This sequence of one
organism interacting with another for food gives
rise to a food chain.
A food chain is the sequence of who eats whom
in a biological community (an ecosystem) to
obtain nutrition.
FIG 1.2.a    Food Chain in an Ecosystem
A food chain starts with plants or other
autotrophs (organisms that make their own food
from light and/or chemical energy) that are eaten
by herbivores (plant-eaters). The herbivores are
eaten by carnivores (meat-eaters). These are
eaten by other carnivores. When any organism
dies, it is eaten by detrivores and then broken
down by tiny microbes (detrivores) and the
There are three major categories of living things
based on how they obtain energy, namely
producers, consumers and decomposers. The
organisms of a food chain vary according to
ecosystems, for example, the organisms of a
tropical ecosystem and an arctic ecosystem are
different. The interactions between these
organisms enable the cyclic flow of energy and
nutrients in the ecosystem.
1.  PRODUCERS
What Types of Organisms are Producers?
Producers form the first link of a food chain and
as the name suggests, they produce food and
oxygen using solar energy or chemical energy.
Autotrophic plants, phytoplanktons, algae and
certain species of bacteria are the producers of
earth’s ecosystem.
Autotrophic plants are the main producers in
terrestrial ecosystems while phytoplanktons are
the producers in aquatic ecosystems. Volcanic
bacteria that live near volcanic vents use sulfur to
produce food.
Since they are at the beginning of the food chain,
producers are the direct or indirect source of food
for other living organisms. For example,
herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat herbivores
and microorganisms and fungi feed on dead
animals and plant. As one organism feeds on
another, energy moves through organisms in an
ecosystem in the form of carbohydrates.
Producers, thus, generate the energy and
nutrients that sustains the ecosystem.
2.  CONSUMERS
What Types of Organisms are Consumers?
The next level of organisms that follows the
producers is the consumers. Consumers are
organisms that cannot prepare their own food
and depend on plants and animals for food.
Depending on how they obtain food, there are
four types of consumers: primary, secondary,
tertiary and quaternary consumers.
In an ecosystem, there is also what we call the
trophic level, which we will discuss now. 
TROPHIC LEVEL

Consider this food chain. In a swamp habitat, a

grasshopper eats swamp grass (producer). The
grasshopper gets eaten by a frog. Then the frog is
eaten by a snake and the snake is eventually
eaten by an eagle.

In this food chain, the grasshopper is the primary

consumer, the frog is the secondary consumer,
the snake is the tertiary consumer and the eagle is
the quaternary consumer.In any food chain, apex
predators, such as eagle, are the highest level FIG 1.2 b Trophic Level in a land ecosystem
consumers, as they do not have a natural
The trophic level of an organism is the position it
predator. Lions, eagles, sharks and human beings
holds in a food chain.
are apex predators.
Trophic level 1 is plants and other autotrophs
3.  DECOMPOSERS 
(also called primary producers) - organisms at this
Which Organisms are Decomposers? level are also called primary producers.

The earth contains a limited amount of organic
matter that is necessary for the survival of living
organisms. Therefore, all organic matter needs to
be continuously replenished in nature. This
process is carried out by decomposers, the final
link in the food chain.
Decomposers are microorganisms that break
down complex organic matter into simple
inorganic matter through chemical reactions.
Decomposers such as bacteria and
fungi scavenge dead and decaying plant and
animal bodies and keep nutrients and energy
circulating in nature.
All living organisms are made up of complex
organic matter such as complex carbohydrates,
proteins and fats. When they die, decomposers
act on their dead bodies and return their organic
matter back to nature in inorganic form. The
inorganic matter enters the soil as nutrients that
are absorbed by plants.
Trophic level 2 is herbivores (organisms that eat
autotrophs) - organisms at this level are also
called primary consumers.
Trophic level 3 is predators that eat herbivores -
organisms at this level are also called secondary
consumers.
Trophic level 4 is predators that eat secondary
consumers - organisms at this level are also called
tertiary consumers.
Trophic level 5 is predators that eat tertiary
consumers - organisms at this level are also called
quaternary consumers.
Decomposers (such as bacteria) start the cycle
again.
We have now discussed the different categories
of  organisms in an ecosystem.  We have also
describe what a food chain is and their
components.  
The trophic level in the food chain is also A food web shows how food chains are related
explained.   within an ecosystem and how the cycles
balanced .       
This link will  give you further readings on the
three  categories of organisms in the ecosystem.        A food web (or food cycle) is the natural
interconnection of food chains and a graphical
DISCUSSION on FOOD CHAIN  
representation (usually an image) of what-eats-
A food chain shows the feeding relationship what in an ecological community. ... Some of the
between different organisms in a particular organic matter eaten by heterotrophs, such as
environment and/or habitat . sugars, provides energy.   

  Plants   at the bottom of a food chain because With this discussion,   please give typical examples
they are producers that make their food from a of producers,  consumers ( priimary,
process called photosynthesis. Organisms that can secondary,tertiary, quartenary)  and decomposers.
make their own food are called producers.

Consumers are animals that eat the products of

producers or other animals. The animal that eats
the producer is called the primary consumer and
it gains the most amount of energy. The animal
that eats the primary consumer is called a
secondary consumer which in the primary
consumer's energy which is transferred becomes
lower due to the primary consumer consuming
some energy. The animal that eats the secondary
consumer is called a tertiary consumer and so on
to fourth, fifth, etc. The direction of arrows
between the organisms shows who eats what and
what gets eaten by what.

A food chain also represents a series of events

and consumption in which food and energy are
consumed from one organism in an ecosystem  to
another. Food chains show how energy is passed
from the sun to producers, from producers to
consumers, and from consumers to decomposes
such as fungi. They also show how animals
depend on other organisms for food.

In any ecosystem, many food chains overlap.

Different food chains may include some of the
same organisms.

Several consumers may eat the same kind of plant

or animal for food. When this happens, the food
chain forms a  food web  .